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Books > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Other Protestant & Nonconformist Churches
How did America's white evangelicals, from often progressive
history, come to right-wing populism? Addressing populism requires
understanding how its historico-cultural roots ground present
politics. How have the very qualities that contributed much to
American vibrancy-an anti-authoritarian government-wariness and
energetic community-building-turned, under conditions of distress,
to defensive, us-them worldviews? Readers will gain an
understanding of populism and of the socio-political and religious
history from which populism draws its us-them policies and
worldview. The book ponders the tragic cast of the white
evangelical story: (i) the distorting effects of economic and
way-of-life duress on the understanding of history and present
circumstances and (ii) the tragedy of choosing us-them solutions to
duress that won't relieve it, leaving the duress in place. Readers
will trace the trajectory from economic, status loss, and
way-of-life duresses to solutions in populist, us-them binaries.
They will explore the robust white evangelical contribution to
civil society but also to racism, xenophobia, and sexism. White
evangelicals not in the ranks of the right-their worldview and
activism-are discussed in a final chapter. This book is valuable
reading for students of political and social sciences as well as
anyone interested in US politics.
Philip Gorski is a very well-known and highly respected author. His
work on Christianity and Democracy is ground breaking and he is a
pioneer of the field. The book is incredibly topical and will be of
interested to those studying Christianity, religion and politics
and evangelicalism. This will be the first academic book to take
this approach to the subject area.
This book explores the life and spirituality of John Cennick
(1718-1755) and argues for a new appreciation of the contradictions
and complexities in early evangelicalism. It explores Cennick's
evangelistic work in Ireland, his relationship with Count
Zinzendorf and the creative tension between the Moravian and
Methodist elements of his participation in the eighteenth-century
revivals. The chapters draw on extensive unpublished correspondence
between Cennick and Zinzendorf, as well as Cennick's unique diary
of his first stay in the continental Moravian centres of
Marienborn, Herrnhaag and Lindheim. A maverick personality, John
Cennick is seen at the centre of some of the principal
controversies of the time. The trajectory of his emergence as a
prominent figure in the revivals is remarkable in its intensity and
hybridity and brings into focus a number of themes in the landscape
of early evangelicalism: the eclectic nature of its inspirations,
the religious enthusiasm nurtured in Anglican societies, the
expansion of the pool of preaching talent, the social tensions
unleashed by religious innovations, and the particular nature of
the Moravian contribution during the 1740s and 1750s. Offering a
major re-evaluation of Cennick's spirituality, the book will be of
interest to scholars of evangelical and church history.
This book aims to introduce a distinctively evangelical voice to
the discipline of practical theology. Evangelicals have sometimes
seen practical theology as primarily a 'liberal' project. This
collection, however, actively engages with practical theology from
an evangelical perspective, both through discussion of the
substantive issues and by providing examples of practical theology
done by evangelicals in the classroom, the church, and beyond. This
volume brings together established and emerging voices to debate
the growing role which practical theology is playing in evangelical
and Pentecostal circles. Chapters begin by addressing
methodological concerns, before moving into areas of practice.
Additionally, there are four short papers from students who make
use of practical theology to reflect upon their own practice.
Issues of authority and normativity are tackled head on in a way
that will inform the debate both within and beyond evangelicalism.
This book will, therefore, be of keen interest to scholars of
practical, evangelical, and Pentecostal theology.
The Mormons had just arrived in Utah after their 1,300-mile exodus
across the Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains. Food was
scarce, the climate shocking in its extremes, and local Indian
bands uneasy. Despite the challenges, Brigham Young and his
counselors in the First Presidency sent church members out to
establish footholds throughout the Great Basin. But the church
leaders felt they had a commission to do more than simply establish
Zion in the wilderness; they had to invite the nations to come up
to "the mountain of the Lord's house." In these critical early
years, when survival in Utah was precarious, missionaries were sent
to every inhabited continent. The 14 general epistles, sent out
from the First Presidency from 1849 to 1856, provide invaluable
perspectives on the events of Mormon history as they unfolded
during this complex transitional time. Woven into each epistle are
missionary calls and reports from the field, giving the Mormons a
glimpse of the wider world far beyond their isolated home. At
times, the epistles are a surprising mixture of soaring doctrinal
expositions and mundane lists of items needed in Salt Lake City,
such as shoe leather and nails. Settling the Valley, Proclaiming
the Gospel collects the 14 general epistles, with introductions
that provide historical, religious, and environmental contexts for
the letters, including how they fit into the Christian epistolary
tradition by which they were inspired.
Among many of his influences, James K. A. Smith set the agenda for
Pentecostal philosophy with the publication of Thinking in Tongues,
which addressed a wide range of philosophical loci through the lens
of Pentecostal spirituality. In particular, he articulated an
epistemology called narrative, affective knowledge, one that
carefully utilizes the resources from continental philosophy and
Pentecostalism. In Pentecostalism, Postmodernism, and Reformed
Epistemology: James K. A. Smith and the Contours of a Postmodern
Christian Epistemology, while accepting the broader descriptions of
narrative, affective epistemology, Yoon Shin critically modifies
and strengthens Smith's epistemology through careful exposition and
critique and with the aid of wide-ranging resources, such as moral
psychology, philosophy of emotion, postliberalism, and Reformed
epistemology. Through his exposition, Shin argues that Smith's
Pentecostal epistemology is not uniquely Pentecostal, but
postliberal and postmodern. Against Smith's insistence that to be a
Christian postmodern is to be a relativist, Shin critiques Smith's
misunderstanding of postliberalism and its realist commitment and
argues for a performative correspondence theory of truth. Moreover,
he expands on Smith's thin prescription for knowledge by enlisting
the aid of Reformed epistemology. Through dialogue with Reformed
epistemology, Shin identifies three areas for dialogue between
postmodern and Reformed epistemology in service of developing a
postmodern Christian epistemology.
In the 1970s, mainly in response to Roe v. Wade, evangelicals and
conservative Catholics put aside their longstanding historical
prejudices and theological differences and joined forces to form a
potent political movement that swept across the country-or so
conventional wisdom would have us think. In this provocative book,
Neil J. Young argues that most of this widely accepted story of the
creation of the Religious Right is not true. We Gather Together
examines evangelicals, Catholics, and Mormons (who are usually
ignored in the story) in the early days of the religious right and
paints a much different picture. Tracing the interactions among
these three groups from the 1950s to the present day, Young shows
that the emergence of the Religious Right was not a brilliant
political strategy of compromise and coalition-building hatched on
the eve of a history-altering election. Rather, it was the latest
iteration of a much-longer religious debate that had been going on
for decades in reaction to the building of a mainline Protestant
consensus. This "restructuring" of interfaith relations took place
alongside American political developments of the time, and
evangelicals, Catholics, and Mormons found common cause and pursued
similar ends in debates about abortion, school prayer, the Equal
Rights Amendment, and tax exemptions for religious schools. They
did so together at times but more often separately, and it is the
latter part that historians have all but ignored. While these
social and political issues were the objects of their displeasure,
they weren't its source; far from setting aside their divisions to
create a unified movement, cracks in the alliance shaped the
movement from the very beginning. This provocative book will
reshape our understanding of the most important religious and
political movement of the last 30 years.
This book examines the contributions, both intentional and
unintentional, of Nigerian Pentecostal churches and NGOs to
development, studying their development practices broadly in
relation to the intersecting spheres of politics, economics,
health, education, human rights, and peacebuilding. In sub-Saharan
Africa, Pentecostalism is fast becoming the dominant expression of
Christianity, but while the growth and civic engagement of these
churches has been well documented, their role in development has
received less attention. The Nigerian Pentecostal landscape is one
of the most vibrant in Africa. Churches are increasingly assuming
more prominent roles as they seek to address the social and moral
ills of contemporary society, often in fierce competition with
Islam for dominance in Nigerian public space. Some scholars suggest
that the combination of an enchanted worldview, an emphasis on
miracles and prosperity teaching, and a preoccupation with
evangelism discourages effective political engagement and militates
against development. However, Nigerian Pentecostalism and
Development argues that there is an emerging movement within
contemporary Nigerian Pentecostalism which is becoming increasingly
active in development practices. This book goes on to explore the
increasingly transnational approach that churches take, often
seeking to build multicultural congregations around the globe, for
instance in Britain and the United States. Nigerian Pentecostalism
and Development: Spirit, Power, and Transformation will be of
considerable interest to scholars and students concerned with the
intersection between religion and development, and to development
practitioners and policy-makers working in the region.
Every year an estimated 600,000 U.S. Latinos convert from
Catholicism to Protestantism. Today, 12.5 million Latinos
self-identify as Protestant--a population larger than all U.S. Jews
and Muslims combined. Spearheading this spiritual transformation is
the Pentecostal movement and Assemblies of God, which is the
destination for one out of four converts. In a deeply researched
social and cultural history, Gaston Espinosa uncovers the roots of
this remarkable turn and the Latino AG's growing leadership
nationwide. Latino Pentecostals in America traces the Latino AG
back to the Azusa Street Revivals in Los Angeles and Apostolic
Faith Revivals in Houston from 1906 to 1909. Espinosa describes the
uphill struggles for indigenous leadership, racial equality, women
in the ministry, social and political activism, and immigration
reform. His analysis of their independent political views and
voting patterns from 1996 to 2012 challenges the stereotypes that
they are all apolitical, right-wing, or politically marginal. Their
outspoken commitment to an active faith has led a new generation of
leaders to blend righteousness and justice, by which they mean the
reconciling message of Billy Graham and the social transformation
of Martin Luther King Jr. Latino AG leaders and their 2,400
churches across the nation represent a new and growing force in
denominational, Evangelical, and presidential politics. This
eye-opening study explains why this group of working-class Latinos
once called "the Silent Pentecostals" is silent no more. By giving
voice to their untold story, Espinosa enriches our understanding of
the diversity of Latino religion, Evangelicalism, and American
culture.
Evangelicals and scholars of religious history have long recognized
George Whitefield (1714-1770) as a founding father of American
evangelicalism. But Jessica M. Parr argues he was much more than
that. He was an enormously influential figure in Anglo-American
religious culture, and his expansive missionary career can be
understood in multiple ways. Whitefield began as an Anglican
clergyman. Many in the Church of England perceived him as a
radical. In the American South, Whitefield struggled to reconcile
his disdain for the planter class with his belief that slavery was
an economic necessity. Whitefield was drawn to an idealized Puritan
past that was all but gone by the time of his first visit to New
England in 1740. Parr draws from Whitefield's writing and sermons
and from newspapers, pamphlets, and other sources to understand
Whitefield's career and times. She offers new insights into
revivalism, print culture, transatlantic cultural influences, and
the relationship between religious thought and slavery. Whitefield
became a religious icon shaped in the complexities of revivalism,
the contest over religious toleration, and the conflicting role of
Christianity for enslaved people. Proslavery Christians used
Christianity as a form of social control for slaves, whereas
evangelical Christianity's emphasis on ""freedom in the eyes of
God"" suggested a path to political freedom. Parr reveals how
Whitefield's death marked the start of a complex legacy that in
many ways rendered him more powerful and influential after his
death than during his long career.
Originally published in 1976, Working Class Radicalism in
Mid-Victorian England examines working-class radicalism in the
mid-Victorian period and suggests that after the fading of Chartist
militancy the radical tradition was preserved in a working-class
subculture that enabled working men to resist the full
consolidation of middle-class hegemony. The book traces the growth
of working-class radicalism as it developed dialectically in
confrontation with middle-class liberal ideology in the generation
after Waterloo. Intellectual forces were of central importance in
shaping the character of the working-class Left and the
Enlightenment, in particular, as the chief source of ideological
weapons that were turned against the established order. The
Enlightenment also provided the intellectual foundations of the
middle-class ideology that was directed against the incipient
threat of popular radicalism. The book notes that the same
intellectual forces that entered into the first half of the
nineteenth century also shaped the value system that provided the
foundations of mid-Victorian urban culture. These forces also
contributed to the rapprochement between working-class liberalism,
bringing latent affinities to the surface. It is also emphasised,
however, that inherited ideas and traditions exercised their
influence in interaction with the structure of power and status.
This textbook not only provides a historical overview of Mexican
American religious traditions but also focuses on society today.
Making this a very comprehensive overview of the subject areas.
This is the first book to attempt to focus on this topic. Each
chapter includes a helpful pedagogy including a general overview,
case studies, suggestions for further reading, questions for
discussion, and a glossary. Making this the ideal textbook for
students approaching the topic for the first time. The use of case
studies and first person narratives provides a much needed 'lived
religion' approach to the subject area. Helping students to apply
their learning to the world around them.
This textbook not only provides a historical overview of Mexican
American religious traditions but also focuses on society today.
Making this a very comprehensive overview of the subject areas.
This is the first book to attempt to focus on this topic. Each
chapter includes a helpful pedagogy including a general overview,
case studies, suggestions for further reading, questions for
discussion, and a glossary. Making this the ideal textbook for
students approaching the topic for the first time. The use of case
studies and first person narratives provides a much needed 'lived
religion' approach to the subject area. Helping students to apply
their learning to the world around them.
This book is an inspiring life story of a poor farm boy whose
extreme poverty was not an obstacle to soar high and achieve his
dreams, but served as a challenge to rise above it. His unwavering
focus, hard work, tenacity, and great faith in God, got him through
the lowest ebbs in his pursuit for education and success. Narrated
in the book are heart-tugging glimpses of the travails he and his
family went through to merely exist, having lived at one time in
pig pen quarters. He worked his way through school and took on the
humblest of jobs. Education to him was the ultimate key to golden
opportunities. Unrelentingly, he pursued to attain the highest
level of education. He attributes what he has achieved to abundant
blessings bestowed on him by the good Lord. The author sums up his
life as a "blending of the unvarnished realities of living and the
polished consequences of education." May Ann Segovia-Lao, MD
Pentecostalism is the fasting growing form of Christianity in the
world. As such, it figures prominently in both RS and Theology
research. This book focuses on Pentecostalism in S. Africa and the
surrounding countries, like Zimbabwe. Pentecostalism is a
particularly strong trend in Africa and so it is good to have a
project that covers this area from an academic based there. The
book takes a critical look at some of the more recent Pentecostal
practices in churches in S. Africa and so will offer an insight
into the lived religion of S. African Pentecostals. The book will
have strong cross-market potential with African Studies.
Exploring the response of evangelicals to the collapse of 'Greater
Christian Britain' in Australia in the long 1960s, this book
provides a new religious perspective to the end of empire and a
fresh national perspective to the end of Christendom. In the
turbulent 1960s, two foundations of the Western world rapidly and
unexpectedly collapsed. 'Christendom', marked by the dominance of
discursive Christianity in public culture, and 'Greater Britain',
the powerful sentimental and strategic union of Britain and its
settler societies, disappeared from the collective mental map with
startling speed. To illuminate these contemporaneous global shifts,
this book takes as a case study the response of Australian
evangelical Christian leaders to the cultural and religious crises
encountered between 1959 and 1979. Far from being a narrow national
study, this book places its case studies in the context of the
latest North American and European scholarship on secularisation,
imperialism and evangelicalism. Drawing on a wide range of archival
sources, it examines critical figures such as Billy Graham, Fred
Nile and Hans Mol, as well as issues of empire, counter-cultural
movements and racial and national identity. This study will be of
particular interest to any scholar of Evangelicalism in the
twentieth century. It will also be a useful resource for academics
looking into the wider impacts of the decline of Christianity and
the British Empire in Western civilisation.
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